Indie Distribution Roundup

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Distribution

Written by Jeff Lanctot

Labels: Money, Marketing, Business, Distribution, D.I.Y. Filmmaking, Independent Film

Suite101 Exclusive Content So, you have made the great American film classic, but how do you convince the world to check out your masterpiece? After all, you didn't get into the movie business to starve! First some bad news: it may not be as easy as you think to convince an established company to take a chance on your movie, and even if you can, you may find that distribution is so expensive that you'll never see a dime. Now the good news: there are more ways than ever to bypass the traditional routes, get your movie in front of an audience, and make a little money at the same time!

Traditional Distribution: There are two types of companies who deal in movies: traditional distribution companies, and film marketing services. Film marketing services shop your film around to film distributors for you for a price- typically a flat-fee. Although marketing companies may have contacts within distribution companies which (in theory) will make it easier to get your film into distribution, it can be difficult to tell who has legitimate contacts and who is just looking to make a quick buck. As the saying goes: "Hollywood is where every broke used-car salesman eventually ends up."

Check out the rest of the article at: http://filmmaking-101.suite101.com/article.cfm/three_routes_to_indie_film_distribution#ixzz0JxrSBbUw&D

Alternative Distribution: Trying to sell your film to a distributor can be a painful minefield of ways you can lose your shirt, so why not skip the distributors do it yourself? As recently as 10 years ago it was nearly impossible to get an independent film around the Hollywood machine directly to the public, but the speeds on the internet are increasing every day, and instant access to the world is more cheaply available via new technologies coming on line all the time. Today's indie filmmakers are harnessing this technology and power in ways that are, frankly, scaring the pants off of the old-guard Hollywood gatekeepers.

Check out the rest of the article at: http://filmmaking-101.suite101.com/article.cfm/guerilla_marketing_for_independent_filmmakers#ixzz0JxraIiTU&D

Really Alternative Distribution: Handling marketing and distribution yourself is a great way to ensure that you retain your rights, and maximize the amount of money you are able to earn with your independent film. The tradeoff is that you’ll need to do the work yourself, but in many cases you can make more money this way than if you have a traditional theatrical release. Unless your film has broad mainstream potential and a star or two, a theatrical release is often not even an option unless you are willing to effectively give your movie away.

Check out the rest of the article at: http://filmmaking-101.suite101.com/article.cfm/diy_distribution_methods_for_your_indie_film#ixzz0Jxrq76Vv&D

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